BV 

3315 

-  DV5 

1881 


i 


MAY  1  7  1993 


leg  I 


HISTORICAL  SKETCH  ^ififfm^^,, 

*     NOV  19  1910      -^ 


^^m!S^^ 


\^mom  ill  mmx  mi  among  \\u  jm 


DNOEU    TUB    CAKE    OF    THR 


BOARD   OF   FOREIGN  MISSIONS  ^F  THE 
PRESBYTERIAN   CHURCH. 


By   rev..  J.   ¥..  DRIPP.S. 


PUBLISHED  BV  TlIK 

WOMAN'S   FOREIGN   MISSIONARY   SOCIETY   OF   THE 
•  PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH, 

No.   1334  Cnii;;JTNUT  Stukkt,  I'hilahki.I'Hia. 

18S1. 


■■■iiir"^ 


MISSIONS  IN  SIAM. 


!    ■  China  on  the  extreme  oast,  and  India  on  the  south — each  has 

its  definite  place  in  our  mind;  but  we  cannot  always  .say  as  much 
*  for  the  tract  of  land  which  lies  between  them,  in  the  southeast  cor- 
ner of  Asia,  and  known  eumetimis  as  Farther  India  or  Indo-China. 
Siam  occupies  the  central  and  larger  portion  of  this  corner-land, 
with  Burmah  on  its  west  and  Cochin  China  on  the  east,  including 
■also  most  of  the  long,  narrow  Malayan  peniusuhi  wliieh  juts  out 
,  from  the  mainland  and  forms  the  sharply-defined  curuer  of  the 

continent.     Beginning  at  the  lower  end  of  this  peninsular  portion, 
;  within  five  degrees  of  the  equator,  the  Siamese  territory  extends 

1350  miles  to  the  north,  and  measures  at  its  widest  point  some 
450  miles  from  east  to  west.  It  contains  190,000  scjuare  miles,  or 
about  as  much  as  New  England  with  the  four  middle  states. 

Most  of  the  country  is  a  low-lying  plain,  completely  overfiowed 

i  every  year  by  its  four  great  rivers.     Journeying  northward  along 

»  the  chief  river,  this  plain  ia  found  to  continue  fur  some  four  huu- 

j  dred  miles,  when  great  mountains  close  in  upon  the  stream,  and 

.  the  traveller  encounters  more  than  forty  very  difficult  ra|)ids  in  the 

1  midst  of  singularly-impressive  scenery ;  after  which  the  country 

;  opens  again  into  another  wide  plain,  very  much  like  the  lormer 

one,  and  known  as  that  of  the  Laos  people.     The  annual  overilow 

of  the  rivers,  with  the  abundant  rainiall,  enables  the  production  of 

}  such  crops  as  rice  and  sugar  in  great  abundance.     It  is  claiiued  to 

be  the  gaideu-land  of  the  world — the  land  of  fruit  and  fiowers  and 

of  never-ending  summer,  with  grand  old  trees  overshadowing  every 

;  hamlet,  and  plant-lile  iu  fullest  variety  bursting  on  every  side  from 

,  the  i'ertile  soil. 

It  is  also  the  land  of  elephants,  the  king  having  five  tliousaud 
^  of  them   in   his  service  fur  war  purposes  alone.     One  variety  is 

that  which  is  knowji  to  us  as  the  "  white  "  elephant,  though  the 
;  Siamese  name  for  it  is  "  the  strange-colored,"  and  it  is  really  a 

whitish  brown.     Its  foi-m  is  used  on  the  Siamese  flags  as  the  na- 
tional symbol,  and  it  is  held  in  great  honor,  though  nut  actually 
worshipped.     There  is  great  abundance  of  fish,  as  also  of  insects 
and,  indeed,  of  every  form  of  tropical  life. 
I  The  climate  of  the  whole  country  is  genial  and  not  unfavorable 

to  health,  though  Europeans  need  to  exchange  it  at  intervals  llu* 


*ma»i  >i.*ii— ■  ■  III  !■ 


4  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

something  more  bracing,  and  the  natives  suffer  considerably  Iroui 
malarial  diseases.  The  thermometer  varies  from  04°  to  99°,  aver- 
aging 81°.  There  is  a  dry  seaaon  from  November  to  May,  and  a 
wet  season  for  the  other  half  of  the  year. 

The  population  is  but  partly  Siamese,  nearly  one-half  being 
made  up  of  the  tributary  races  and  of  Chinese  immigrants.  There 
are  perhaps  five  or  six  millions  in  all,  though  no  exact  statement 
has  ever  been  given  on  this  point.  In  any  case,  however,  it  is  not 
a  quarter  of  the  number  which  the  land  could  easily  support,  and 
the  paucity  is  ascribed  to  such  causes  us  war  and  disease,  polyg- 
amy, and  the  celibacy  of  the  priesthood.  By  descent  the  peoplo 
are  of  the  same  family  with  the  Chinese,  having  also  several 
features  of  likeness  to  the  natives  of  India.  The  name  by  which 
we  call  them  is  supposed  to  come  from  the  Sanscrit  word  "  s^am," 
meaning  "the  brown,"  though  they  call  themselves  by  a  term  sig- 
nifying "  the  free."  They  are  a  gentle,  passive,  rather  weak  race, 
given  to  dissimulation,  and  very  conceited  ;  but  they  are  reverential 
to  the  aged,  especially  to  parents,  are  kind  to  their  children,  liberal 
in  alms  giving,  orderly  and  peaceable.  They  have  quick,  though 
not  very  strong,  minds,  ahd  are  said  to  be  mure  receptive  than  the 
Chinese.  These  traita  are  common  to  all  the  native  races,  though 
the  Laos  have  a  somewhat  stronger  character,  with  many  interest- 
ing traits  peculiar  to  itself  The  universal  inertness,  due  to 
tlio  enervating  climate,  is  confiijued  by  the  fact  that  food  is 
80  excessively  cheap,  and  that  small  exertion  is  requinsd  for  satis- 
fying the  need  of  clothing,  a  waist-cluth  having  usually  been  all 
that  was  held  necessary,  with  sometimes  a  light  cape  over  the 
shoulders.  A  large  pruportion  of  the  people  have  continued  to 
live  in  a  state  which  is  nominally  that  of  slavery,  though  it  is  of  a 
mild  type,  and  terminable  at  any  time  by  the  payment  of  a  fixed 
Bum.  It  is  now  in  process  of  being  entirely  abolished,  by  order  of 
the  king.  Women  are  not  held  iu  restriction,  but  go  about  the 
streets  at  will,  and  transact  business  freely.  They  are,  however, 
considered  to  be  of  so  inferior  a  nature  that  they  are  not  educated 
at  all,  whereas  most  of  the  men  and  boys  can  read  and  write. 
Polygamy  is  usual  among  those  wlio  can  aflbrd  it,  and  divorce  is 
easy  in  all  classcfj,  though  there  are  many  happy  marriages. 

The  government  is  an  absolute  monarchy,  entrusting  all  power 
of  every  kind  to  the  king.  The  "second  king"  has  no  share  iu 
the  administration,  nor  have  the  nobles,  although  when  the  king 
dies  it  is  the  a.ssembly  of  nobles  which  chooses  his  successor,  either 
from  among  his  sons  or,  if  they  prefer,  from  some  other  family. 

The  history  of  the  country  presents  very  little  of  importance  or 
interest  until  the  advent  of  Chri.^tian  missionaries;  since  which 
time  many  features  of  western  civilization   have  been  adopted  by 


^iit&iiliii 


TUE   MISBI0N6   iN    SIAAI.  5 

order  of  the  present  king  and  of  his  predecessor.  Id  fact,  the 
change  made  in  this  direction  has  nothing  to  equal  it,  except  in 
the  case  of  Japan. 

Foreign  commerce,  with  the  encouragement  which  it  is  now 
heginning  to  receive,  is  capable  of  imu)en8e  expansion,  bo  abundant 
are  the  natural  resources'of  every  kind,  and  so  readily  accessible. 
This  feature  of  accessibility  is  e.ipecially  marked.  Not  only  can 
the  great  rivers  be  readily  made  available,  but  the  net-work  of 
canals  which  interlaces  the  country  between  them.  This  gives  it« 
peculiar  character  to  Bangkok,  the  capital,  which  has  much  the 
same  importance  for  Siam  as  London  for  England.  This  city,  of 
four  hundred  thousand  inhabitants,  situated  not  far  from  the  sea, 
has  the  chief  river  of  the  laud  for  its  main  avenue  and  canals  for 
lesser  ones.  When  the  native  houses  are  nut  built  on  piles  driven 
into  the  banks,  they  are  often  floated  on  platforms  in  the  river 
itself,  whoso  sides  are  thus  lined  for  several  miles.  The  whole 
city  and,  indeed,  all  lower  Siam  can  be  reached  by  boat — a  fact 
most  important  for  commerce,  as  it  is  also  for  missionary  work. 

I^UDDUISM.      • 

Considered  as  a  field  for  Christian  missions,  the  most  noticeable 
fact  in  regard  to  Siam  is  that  it  constitutes  the  very  citadel  of 
Buddhism — the  land  which,  more  than  any  other,  is  entirely  and 
only  Buddhist.  In  China,  a  Buddhist  is  also  a  Coiifucianist  and  a 
Taoist;  even  his  Buddhism  itself  being  far  less  pure  than  in  Siam. 
This  system  attracts  the  more  attention  because  within  the  present 
generation  it  has  beeume  distinctly  known  by  us  for  the  tirst  time. 
The  result  is  that  while  many  still  regard  it  as  a  mere  tissue  of 
palpable  absurdities,  some  of  our  writers  are  claiming  for  it  a  place 
by  the  side  of  Christianity  itself,  and  ou  a  level  with  it. 

The  truth  lies  of  course  between  such  extremes.  Buddhists 
need  Christianity  as  deeply  as  any  men  on  earth;  yet  their  own 
system,  with  its  strange  mixture  of  good  and  uvil,  has  a  power 
whieh  is  real  and  formidable.  It  is  six  hundred  years  older  than 
Christianity,  having  originated  about  the  time  of  the  Jewish 
prophet  Daniel,  in  an  age  which  also  witnessed  the  teaching  of 
Confucius  among  the  Chinese,  and  of  Pythagoras  among  the 
Greeks;  a  time  which  was  one  of  mental  (juickening  and  enlarge- 
ment of  thought  over  all  the  earth.  Its  iounder  himself  was 
conitnouly  known  by  his  family  name  Gautama,  and  by  the  title 
of  ''The  Buddha"— that  is,  "The  Enlightened  One."  He  has 
left  an  impression,  by  his  personal  character  and  teachings,  rarely 
equalled  among  men.  In  Siam,  for  example,  there  has  been  ibr 
twelve  hundred  years  no  other  religion  than  his;  one  whieh  is  ven- 
erated beyond  expression,  and  interwoven  with  every  act  and  occu- 


*lk!tW  titH 


M'  miSTUaiQAIi   SiEXOU   OF 

p^t^iou  of  lite.  .  It  has  showa  much  ot  mtiillectual  subtlety,  ana 
eveu  of  moral  truth,  uiiugled  with  uU  ita  absurdities  and  vices';  aud 
has  provea^  itself  singularly  adapted  to  tho  pcuple  with  whom  it 
deals.  Ita  influence  is  nut  only  long-continued  and  deep,  but  very 
l;)road.  It  hua  greatly  modified  the  other  religiuna  of  India,  though 
seven  centuries  ago  it  wad  finally  driven  from  its  place  among  them; 
while  in  China  the  whole  population  is  enrolled  among  its  adherents. 
One-half  of  mankind  bear  its  impressions ;  one-third  of  them  are 
its  active  supporters.  It  would  be  by  all  means  the  leading  relig- 
ion on  earth  if  mere  numbers  could  make  it  such. 

Yet,  in  the  real  sense  of  tho  word,  it  is  no  religion  at  all,  for  it 
teaches  no  God  above  and  no  soul  within  us.  Most  of  its  ibllow- 
ers  have  in  their  language  no  word  whatever  for  that  which  we  call 
'^  God,"  in  the  sense  of  a  divine  Iluler,  Creator,  Preserver  of  men, 
and  the  very  idea  of  such  a  being  does  not  exist  in  Buddhism. 
The  Buddha  himself  was  not  a  god,  but  a  man;  and  though  he 
speaks  of  beings  who  aro  called  gods,  yet  they  are  described  as 
mere  mortals  like  ourselves,  having  no  power  over  us,  nor  eveu  any 
essential  superiority  to  us.  Each  man  must  work  out  his  own  des- 
tiny for  himself,  with  no  aid  from  any  higher  power,  in  the  spirit 
of  atheistic  rationalism. 

Buddhism,  as  such,  has  therefore  no  such  thing  as  prayer  or 
religious  worship  in  any  form.  The  nearest  approach  to  this  is  iu 
the  form  of  inward  uieditation,  or  of  paying  outward  honors  to  the 
memory  of  Gautama  by  carrying  flowers  to  his  monument.  When 
Buddhists  wish  to  find  any  outlet  for  the  religious  instinct  they 
must  go  outside  of  Buddhism  to  seek  it.  This  is  actually  the  case 
with  nearly  all  of  them.  They  crave  some  object  of  worship,  and 
since  Gautama  has  given  them  none,  they  addict  themselves  to  some 
form  of  devil-worship  or  witchcraft  by  way  of  addition  to  his  system. 
This  single  fact  is  sufficient  commentary  upon  the  fatal  defective- 
ness of  his  teachings.  They  do  also  say  prayers,  which  aro  in  some 
cases  the  real  cry  of  the  soul  toward  some  one  or  some  thing  which 
can  help  it.  Usually,  however,  the  "  prayer"  which  they  repeat  is 
not  so  much  in  the  Ibrm  of  appeal  to  any  living  hearer  as  in  that  of 
a  charm  or  incantation ;  the  mere  repetition  of  the  words  being 
supposed  to  have  magical  power  iu  itself.  Hence  originated  the 
use  of  "praying-mills"  in  Thibet,  each  turn  of  the  wheel  being 
considered  as  a  repetition  of  the  prayer  or  magical  foi-m  which  is 
written  upon  it.  In  such  ways  as  this  liuddliism  has  come  to  re- 
ceive aa  enormous  mass  of  additions,  many  of  which  aro  directly 
opposed  to  its  original  teachings.  A  singular  fact  in  this  connec- 
tiou  is  the  outgrowth  of  an  extremely  elaborate  system  of  worship 
in  Thibet,  though  not  in  Siam,  which  resembles  closely  in  all  its 
outward  forms  that  of  the  Church  of  llonjc.    Even  iu  Siam  images 


'^'AiikL. 


uai*-*^»M.iit,iUti^l^MAklkUus^4^iA^muJitM  M*~  <»> 


X^E   iJIi^SifONS   IN   BUM.  7 

of  Budjlha  are  enormousjy  multipUed,  tending  to  practical  idolatry. 
There  are  said  to  be  fourteen  thousand  in  one  teuiplu  alone. 

The  atheiam  of  Gautama'a  teaching  is  the  more  complete 
because  of  his  declaring,  in  the  most  emphatic  manner  possible,  that 
there  is  no  such  thing  as  suul  or  spirit  in  man  himself;  that  a  man 
is  only  a  body  with  certain  faculties  added  to  it,  all  of  which  scatter 
into  uothiugnesa  when  the  body  dissolves.  One  feature  of  Buddh- 
ism, therefure,  is  its  denial  of  all  spirituality,  divine  or  human. 

A  second  feature  is  its  assertion,  as  the  positive  facts  upon  which 
it  builds,  of  two  most  remarkable  ideas.  One  of  these  is  the  doc- 
trine to  which  Gautama  most  frequently  refers,  and  to  which  his  iol- 
lowers  liave  given  most  heed,  viz.,  that  of  traiismiy ration.  Thia 
belief,  strange  as  it  seems  to  Christians,  is  held  by  most  of  tho 
human  race  as  aflording  the  only  explanation  they  can  Und  for  tho 
perplexing  inequalities  of  earthly  experience.  It  teaches  that  tho 
cause  of  every  joy  or  sorrow  is  to  be  found  in  some  conduct  of  tho 
man  himself,  if  not  in  this  life,  then  in  some  of  his  previous  lives. 
Such  a  theory  appeals  to  the  couvietion  that  every  event  must 
have  a  cause,  and  to  the  innate  sense  of  justice  which  demands 
that  every  act  shall  have  its  merited  consequence.  It  also  connects 
itself  with  that  "strange  trick  of  memory,"  as  it  lias  been  called, 
which  leads  occasionally  to  the  sudden  sense  of  our  having  pro- 
vioasly  met  the  very  scene,  having  said  and  done  tho  very  things 
which  are  now  present  with  us;  and  as  they  say  it  cannot  be  dis- 
proved, its  believers  are  slow  to  give  it  up.  In  fact,  as  the  usual 
emblem  of  Christianity  is  the  cross,  so  that  of  Buddhism  is  tho 
wheel — chosen  as  such  from  its  suggestion  of  endless  rotation. 

Buddhism,  however,  which  denies  the  existence  of  the  soul,  ia 
obliged  to  teach  transmigration  in  a  very  strange  form — a  form, 
indeed,  which  is  not  only  mysterious,  but  impossible.  According 
to  this,  although  you  go  to  nothingness  when  you  die,  yet  a  new 
person  is  sure  to  be  produced  at  that  moment,  who  is  considered 
to  be  practically  the  same  as  yourself,  because  he  bt:gins  existeuco 
with  all  your  merits  and  demerits  exactly,  and  it  is  to  your  thirst 
for  life  that  ho  owes  his  being.  Yet,  as  it  is  acknowledged  that 
you  are  not  conscious  of  producing  him  and  he  is  not  conscious  of 
any  relation  M'ith  you,  it  is  hard  to  see  how  human  brains  can 
accept  such  a  hopeless  absurdity  as  this  doctrine  of  "  Karma." 
Practically,  its  believers  are  apt  to  forget  their  denial  of  the  soul, 
and  speak  as  if  it  does  exist  and  goes  at  death  into  a  new  body. 
This  new  birth,  moreover,  may  be  not  into  the  form  of  a  man,  but 
into  that  of  a  beast  of  the  earth,  a  devil  in  some  hell  or  au 
angel  in  some  heaven.  Buddhism  not  only  teaches  the  existence 
of  hells  and  heavens,  but  fixes  their  exact  size  and  position;  so 
that  one  glance  through   the  telescope,  or  any  acquaintance  with. 


S^ 


^T^mz 


^  y  HISTORICAL   SKETCU    OV 

\  astronomy,  is  enough  to  prove  the  falsity  of  its  declarations  on  that 

I  point.     It  is  further  taught  that  each  of  these  future  lives  must 

I  come  to  an  end,  for  all  things  above  and  below  are  continually 

[  .       changing  places  with  each  other,  as  they  ever  have  done  and  ever 

I  will  do.     There  is  therefore  no  real  satisfaction  even  in  the  pros- 

t  pect  of  a  heavenly  life,  since  it  must  in  time  change,  probably  for 

the  worse,  while  the  chief  probability  points  to  some  new  life  which 
is  worse,  and  not  better,  than  the  present. 

In  close  connectiou,  then,  with  this  fundamental  idea  of  Buddh- 
ism, namely  transmigration,  is  the  other  idea  that  all  life,  present 
or  future,  is  essentially  so  transitory,  disappointing,  and  miserable, 
that  the  greatest  of  blessings  would  be  the  power  to  cease  from  the 
weary  round  entirely  and  forever.  Practically  its  votaries  have 
before  their  minds  a  life  in  some  delightful  heaven,  which  may  bo 
secured  against  turning  into  any  following  evil  by  passing  instead 
'  into  calm  unending  slumber.  The  essential  features  of  this  heav- 
enly condition  are  its  preception  of  Hfe's  illusiveness,  with  freedom 
from  all  resulting  lusts  and  passions;  and  this  ensures  that  when 
the  life  you  are  then  living  shall  close,  no  new  being  will  be  formed 
in  your  place,  because  your  thirst  for  living  is  at  last  extinguished. 
While  it  is  true,  then,  that  this  condition  of  heavenly  calm  or  Nirvana 
is  represented  as  eminently  attractive,  yet  its  dibtinguishiug  benefit 
lies  in  the  fact  that  when  it  ends,  that  which  follows  is  not  a  new 
birth,  but  an  eternal  freedom  from  all  life.  This  is  in  its  essence  a 
doctrine  of  despair,  even  though  the  annihilation  of  life  is  called 
by  the  softer  name  of  endless  slumber,  and  attention  is  mainly  fixed 
on  the  joys  of  Nirvana  which  precede  that  slumber. 

The  remaining  or  third  chief  feature  of  Buddhism  is  its  descrip- 
tion of  the  "Noble  Path" — the  way  by  wliieh  a  man  is  to  reach 
this  desired  goal.  Having  (1)  denied  the  existence  of  God  and  the 
soul,  and  (2)  asserted  the  existence  of  transmigration  and  of  an  es- 
sential misery  in  all  life,  from  which  Nirvana  is  the  only  deliverance, 
it  proceeds  (3)  to  toll  how  Nirvana  may  be  reached.  It  is  by  means 
of  persevering  meditation  upon  the  hollowness  of  life,  together  with 
the  practice  of  control  over  self  and  benevolence  to  others.  Many 
of  the  rules  given  for  this  end  have  in  them  a  moral  truth  and 
beauty  which  is  exceedingly  remarkable.  The  ojiposition  made  to 
caste  and  to  extending  religion  by  force  of  arms,  the  freedom  given 
to  woman,  and  the  niildness  of  manners  cherished  among  all,  are 
most  commendable.  Much  of  its  hold  upon  men  un<loubtedly 
came  from  the  fact  that  its  moral  standard  is  endorsed  to  so  great 
an  extent  by  every  man's  conscience,  while  its  S])irit  of  self-help 
and  of  working  out  merit  by  one's  own  acts  would  find  a  responsive 
chord  in  most  men.  Gautama,  the  Buddha,  must  have  been  a 
noble  man,  far  above  the  average  around  hiiu  in  braiu  and  heart, 


.iULJjIl'l*— ""  M\t\\    --TI   ■■    — --^^-■■■-  •'"""- '"--"*'"****"*^'**^ 


^ 


THE    MI8BION8   IN   SIAM.  9 

and  not  tho  loaHt  so  in  his  efforts  to  learn  from  others  before  bcgin- 
uio<^  himself  to  teach.  But  his  followers  of  to-day  arc  by  uo  means 
teachable  in  the  presence  of  Christianity,  with  its  fullness  of  divine 
truth  J  and  whenever  partial  truth  resists  fuller  truth  it  becomes 
wrong  and  hurtful.  If  Buddhism  held  faithfully  the  truth  it 
knew,  ever  ready  to  learn  further  lessons  of  good,  it  could  be 
viewed  with  gladness  us  a  system  which  had  prevented  many  a 
worse  one,  while  not  hinderiug  aught  better  still;  but  this  latter 
assertion  cannot  be  made. 

Its  claim  to  be  perfect  and  final  is  utterly  wrong.  On  the  one 
hand  it  absolutely  iguorea  auy  thought  of  luve  aud  duty  to  God,  or 
even  the  mention  of  His  name,  and  even  its  benevolence  to  man 
arises  from  the  desire  of  saving  self  It  has  no  living  root,  no  true 
foundation.  As  the  main  thing  is  to  save  one's  self  from  misery, 
separation  from  others  is  a  cardinal  virtue ;  the  best  form  of  life  is 
that  of  the  monk,  aud  his  goodness  is  most  complete  when  he  re- 
fuses even  to  look  at  a  woman,  or  to  have  any  share  in  healing  the 
diseases  of  others.  Such  a  theory  is  far  remuved  from  tho  benev- 
olence of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  commits  also  tho  natural 
mistake  of  Ibrbidding  a  thing  totally  when  it  is  only  its  excess 
which  is  evil,  as  where  the  man  seeking  perfeetiun  is  forbidden  to 
touch  money  at  all  or  to  take  auy  life,  etc.  It  must  be  remembered 
that  disobedience  to  these  moral  laws  is  not  called  "sm,"  for  where 
no  God  is  recognized  uo  sin  is  confessed,  and  it  is  merely  so  much 
loss  to  one's  self,  just  as  when  auy  other  law  of  nature  is  broken. 
If  you  choose  to  take  the  loss  you  are  always  at  liberty  to  break 
the  law.  Morality  becomes  a  mere  affair  of  profit  and  loss;  so 
that  we  even  read  of  a  Buddhist  account-book,  with  its  debtor  and 
creditor  columns,  by  which  the  yearly  balance  of  merits  or  demerits 
could  readily  be  ascertained. 

We  must  beware  then  of  putting  Christian  meaning  into  Buddh- 
ist words,  or  of  supposing  that  such  a  description  of  Buddhism  as 
Arnold's  "  Light  of  Asia,"  with  all  its  poetio  and  spiritual  beauties, 
could  have  been  written  by  any  man  destitute  of  Christian  ideas. 
Moreover,  if  there  is  fault  and  defect  even  in  the  purest  possiblo 
jolni  of  the  system,  how  much  more  is  there  iu  the  actual  teachings 
of  JJuddhist  books  after  twenty-four  hundred  years  of  corruption. 

The  practical  conduct  of  its  followers  is  below  even  this  faulty 
staudard;  they  live  as  the  heathen  did  whom  Paul  describes  iu  the 
first  chapter  of  his  Epistle  to  the  Ilomans.  For  after  all,  the  great 
distinction  between  all  other  religions  and  Christianity  is  not 
merely  that  they  present  lower  standards  than  it,  but  that  they  do 
not  present  at  all  that  which  is  its  one  chief  ofier,  viz.,  grace  and 
strength  whereby  men  become  able  to  rise  toward  their  standard. 
Buddhism  makes  no  such  offer  as  this,  and  has  no  conception  of 


k.al.a''^^*^"*-'''^'' 


10  HlBTOtttOAf^   8K.i;rCii    Of 

sucli  a  thing.  It  fixes  the  mind  upon  thq  evila  aod  miseries  of 
life,  which  it  is  by  its  own  power  to  ahuu,  uqd  uot  upoa  the  posi- 
tive holiness  and  blessedness  of  a  divine  Father  and  Saviour,  whose 
{jruce  can  lift  the  soul  toward  the  glory  which  it  sees. 

Christians  freely  concede  all  that  can  truly  bo  claimed  for  the 
Buddhist  standard;  for  the  higher  it  is,  the  more  does  it  show 
natural  conscience  endorsing  the  requirements  of  God  as  no  more 
than  right  and  just.  The  defects  of  Buddhism,  both  in  theory  and 
practice,  are  evident  enough.  In  all  these  twenty-four  hundred  years, 
and  among  these  myriads  of  men,  it  has  produced  no  single  nation 
comparable  with  even  the  lowest  of  Chritstiau  states.  In  fact,  the 
very  existeuce  of  its  priesthood,  as  seen  in  Siam,  is  enougli  to 
dwarf  the  prosperity  of  any  people.  The  name  of  "priest"  is, 
indeed,  hardly  accurate  in  this  case,  for  the  condition  intended  is 
rather  that  of  a  monk — of  one  who  gives  himself  to  carry  into 
practice  (jautama's  conception  of  the  best  life,  ijach  works  out 
morit  for  himself  by  a  life  of  meditation,  without  undertaking  for 
others  any  woik  which  is  really  "  priestly."  Forbidden  to  engage 
in  useful  work,  and  enjoined  to  live  solely  on  alms,  these  men 
drain  the  community  of  $25,000,000  each  yeitr  for  their  bodily 
support  alone,  beside  all  which  they  get  for  their  temples,  etc. 
This  is  at  a  rate  which  would  amount,  if  Siam  were  as  large  aa  our 
own  nation,  to  the  enormous  sum  of  $200,000,000  yearly  for  the 
personal  support  of  priests.  Ignorant  as  they  usually  are,  yet  the 
whole  education  of  the  people  is  in  their  hands ;  and  every  man 
in  the  nation  spends  at  least  part  of  his  life  in  the  priesthood, 
while  every  womau  and  child  is  glad  to  gain  merit  by  leeding  them. 
They  not  only  control  the  nation,  but  uiay  almost  bo  said  to  include 
it,  bodily  ;  and  it  may  be  imagined  how  iirmly  they  hold  it  to  Buddh- 
ism. When  it  is  possible  for  a  man  to  say,  as  one  of  these  priests 
did,  "  I  do  not  worship  the  gods,  but  they  worship  me,"  and  to 
really  believe  that  by  rigid  perseverance  in  his  system  he  can  out- 
rank any  being  in  existence,  it  is  evident  that  such  }»ride  will  not 
readily  confess  itself  wholly  wrong,  and  accept  any  new  religion. 

How  can  a  system  be  conceived  UKjre  completely  guarded 
against  the  entrance  of  Christianity,  and  at  the  same  time  more 
utterly  in  need  of  the  gospel '(  It  might  readily  be  expected  that 
missionary  work  would  make  slow  progress  under  such  circum- 
stances. We  can  the  better  appreciate,  then,  that  advance  which 
has  actually  been  made. 


HUMAN    CATHOLIC    MISSIONS. 


The  Church  of  Bome  established  its  missions  in  Siam  as  early  as 
lCLi2.  The  grand  embassy  from  Louis  XIV.,  a  few  years  later, 
was  accompanied  by  a  number  of  priests,  and  from  that  time  to  the 


i.i^ 


THE   MISSIONS   IN    SIAM.  11 

present  they  have  tenaciously  held  their  ground,  through  periods  of 
severe  persecution  or  of  couteuiptuous  toleration,  varied  only  occa- 
sionally by  intervals  of  royal  favor.  They  have  found  the  work  to 
be  one  of  special  difficulty,  however,  and  their  eS'orts  have  produced 
far  less  result  thau  in  most  other  missions  conducted  by  them. 
Yet  the  size  of  their  roll  is  still  greater  than  that  of  the  Protestant 
missions,  and  it  is  therefore  necessary  to  remember  that  the  difi'er- 
ence  in  quality  is  so  radical  and  complete  that  such  a  couiparLson 
of  quantities  is  utterly  misleading.  This  declariition  would  not  be 
lUade  if  the  Roman  Church  held  the  same  standard  in  Siani  which 
it  does  in  England  or  America,  instead  of  siukiiig,  as  it  actually 
has  done,  almost  to  the  level  of  heathenism  itself.  This  can  be 
tested  by  observing  its  attitude  towards  the  "  Christians,"  the 
Siamese,  and  the  Chinese. 

There  is  still  quite  a  considerable  body  of  mixed  descendants 
from  the  early  Portuguese  settlers  whom  the  Roman  priesta  have 
succeeded  in  keeping  from  apostatizing  to  Buddhi.sm ;  but  their 
preservation  as  a  distinct  body  bearing  the  name  of  "  Christian" 
has  been  a  very  questionable  benefit.  J)v.  GutzlafF,  for  example, 
found  that  the  servility  and  moral  degradation  of  these  "  Chris- 
tians" had  inspired  the  Siamese  with  such  contempt,  not  only  for 
the  religion  but  for  the  civilization  and  power  of  all  Europeans, 
that  they  only  began  to  change  their  minds  upon  finding  that 
Jiritish  arms  had  actually  defeated  and  conquered  Burmah,  which 
is  on  the  very  border  of  Siam  itself.  What  wonder  is  it  that  to 
such  a  body  as  this  there  have  been  added  scarcely  any  converts 
whatever  from  among  adult  Siamese,  and  that  the  rolls  of  the 
Roman  Church  are  enlarged  mainly  by  claiming  the  names  of  those 
heathen  infants  who  are  surreptitiously  baptized  when  at  the  point 
of  death,  by  the  priests  or  their  assistants,  under  the  guise  of 
administering  medicine'/' 

Prom  the  Chinese  traders  Dr.  House  informs  us  that  the  Roman 
priests  have  received  of  late  quite  an  accession,  by  offering  as  a 
consideration  the  protection  of  the  Prcnch  government,  with  cou- 
6e(jueut  immunity  I'roui  the  many  exactions  and  aimoyances  of  the 
Siamese  officials.  It  is  very  evident  that  a  roll  of  names  made  up 
on  such  princi})le8  and  for  such  a  body  can  in  no  way  be  consid- 
ered as  a  roll  of  Christian  converts,  and  compared  as  such  with 
that  of  ProtcHtant  churches.  Whatever  could  be  accompliahed  by 
Jesuit  influence  has  always  been  tried,  to  induce  the  native  govern- 
ment to  expel  from  the  country  every  gospel  missionary.  Mo 
retaliation  for  these  attacks  has  been  attempted,  but  it  has  been 
clearly  perceived  that  the  need  of  Siam  for  Protestant  missions  id 
not  a  particle  the  less,  but  rather  the  greater,  because  of  the  mis- 
sion work  of  the  Church  of  Rome. 


\  12  HISTOJftlOAl,   SKETCH   op 

I  PROTESTANT   MISSIONS. 

f;4  :  ,  "It  is  an  interesting  fact,"  says  Dr.  House,  "  that  tlie  very  first 

effort  made  by  any  of  the  I'rotestaut  faith  for  the  spiritual  good  of 
T  the  people  of  Siam  was  by  a  woman.     This  was  Aun  Haaeltiue 

\  Judsou,  of  saiuLod  memory,  who  had  become  interested  in  some 

'  Siamese  living  at  llangoou,  where  she  then  resided.     Ja  a  letter  to 

\  a  friend'in  the  Ifnited  States,  dated  April  30,  1818,  she  writes, 

'Accompanying  is   a  catechism   in   Siaujcse,  which   I   have   juat 
copied  for  you.     I   have  atteuded  to  the  Siauieae  language  lor 
'  about  a  year  and  a  half,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  uiy  teacher, 

have  translated  the  Barman  catechism  (just  prepared  by  Dr.  Jud- 
son),  a  tract  contiiiniug  an  abstract  of  Christianity  and  the  Gospel 
of  Matthew,  into  that  language.'  The  catechism  was  printed  by 
the  English  Baptibt  mission  press  at  Serampore  in  lHli3,  being  the 
first  Christian  book  ever  printed  in  Siamese." 

For  more  than  twenty  years  after  this  time,  however,  Siam  was 
regarded   by  mission  workers  chiefly  as  a  point  of  approach  to 
China,  where  nearly  one-third  of  the  human  race  were  living  in 
I  total  ignorance  of  Christianity.     It  was  in  this  way  that  liangkok 

was  visited  in   1828  by  the  celebrated  Dr.  Karl  GntzlaiF,  whose 
;  works  upon  China  are  still  of  great  value.     He  was  then  connected 

with  the  Netherland  Missionary  Society,  and  was  accouipauied  by 
llev.  Mr.  Tomlin,  of  the  London  society's  mission  at  Singapore. 
They  immediately  gave  their  eervices  as  physicians  to  crowds  of 
patients,  and  distributed  twenty-five  boxes  of  books  and  tracts  in 
Chinese  within  two.  months.  They  connected  with  tlicir  Cliiuese 
work  the  study  of  Siamese,  even  attemptiug  to  translate  the  Scrip- 
tures into  that  language.  Appeals  were  also  sent  by  tlicm  to  the 
American  churches  and  the  American  Board  of  Commissioners  ior 
Foreign  Missions,  and  to  Dr.  Judson  in  Burmah,  urging  that  mis- 
sionaries be  sent  to  Siam.  Mr.  Tomlin  was  compelled  by  severe 
illness  to  return  to  Singapore  in  the  following  year.  Late  in  182li 
Dr.  Gutzlaff,  having  prepared  a  tract  iu  Siamese  and  translated 
-  one  of  the  Gospels,  also  visited  Singapore  to  have  them  printed. 

While  there  he  was  married  to  Miss  Maria  Newell,  of  the  ]jondou 
Missionary  Society,  the  first  woman  to  underUike  personal  work 
for  Christ  in  Siam  itself,  whither  slio  went  a  few  months  alter 
their  marriage.  She  lived,  however,  little  more  than  a  year  after 
that  time,  and  her  babe  Soon  followed  her.  Her  husband,  being 
extremely  ill,  was  urged  to  sail  northward  to  Cliina  itself,  which,  in 
spito  of  great  peril,  ho  succeeded  in  doing,  and  began,  on  his  re- 
covery, a  singularly-adventurous  pioneer  work  in  that  land.  He 
was  but  twenty-five  years  ot  age  when  he  reached  Siam,  and  put 
f  .  forth  all  the  energy  of  his  uatiire  into  the  work  he  found  there. 


W  i 


THE    MISSIONS    IN    SiAM.  13 

The  death  of  his  devoted  wife  and  his  owu  enforced  departure  to 
China  were  felt  to  be  no  ordinary  loss  for  Siaui.  A  few  days  afler 
he  had  sailed,  in  June,  1831,  llev.  David  Abeel  arrived,  having 
been  sent  by  the  American  Board  of  Coninii.ssiouers  for  Forei^u 
Missions  in  answer  to  tlie  appeal  of  Gntzlatf  and  Tonilin.  Mr. 
Tonilin  himself  came  with  him,  but  could  only  remain  for  six 
months,  when  he  was  placed  in  charjjje  of  the  Anglo-Chinese  col- 
lege at  Malacca.  After  repeated  experinienta,  Dr.  Abeel  also  was 
compelled  to  give  up  work  in  Siam,  on  account  of  protracted  ill- 
health,  in  November,  1882.  The  American  ]5oard  thereupon  S(Mit 
out  liev.  JMessrs.  Johnson  and  Robinson,  who  arrived  in  July, 
1834,  and  D.  B.  Bradley,  M.D.,  in  July,  1835.  "Like  all  their 
predecessors,  these  missionaries  had  gome  knowledge  of  the  healing 
art  and  a  stock  of  medicines  for  free  distribution ;  so  that  the  peo- 
ple of  Siam  naturally  give  to  every  Protestant  missionary  the  title 
of  '  mau,'  or  '  doctor  of  medicine.'  "  Several  of  them  have  been 
fully-trained  physicians,  among  whom  was  Dr.  Bradley.  "His 
work  as  medical  missionary,  writer  and  translator  into  Siamese  of 
Christian  books,  printer,  and  preacher,  continued  with  a  zeal  and 
hope  which  knew  neither  weariness  nor  discouragement  until  his 
lamented  death,  after  thirty-eight  years  of  toil,  in  June,  1873." 
Two  of  his  daughters,  Mrs,  McGilvary  and  Mrs.  Cheek,  still  con- 
tinue on  the  ficM  as  the  wives  of  Presbyterian  missionaries.  Upon 
the  opening  of  China  to  missionary  work,  the  American  Board 
transferred  its  efforts  to  that  country,  and  gave  its  field  in  Siam  to 
the  "American  Missionary  Society,"  by  which  the  work  was  uuiiu- 
tained  for  some  years  longer,  and  then  discontinued. 

An  American  Baptist  mission  to  the  Chinese  in  Siam  is  still 
carried  on  with  great  success  by  the  vtiteran  soldier  of  the  cross, 
llev.  Dr.  Dean,  who  was  its  founder  in  1835.  There  was  for  many 
years  another  department  of  the  mission,  beginning  still  earlier,  in 
]  833,  and  addressing  itself  to  the  Siamese  themselves.  This  has 
now  fur  several  years  been  discontinued,  and  the  entiro  strength  of 
the  Baptist  mission  is  concentrated  upon  its  work  for  the  Chinese, 
which  proved  to  bo  much  the  more  successful  of  the  two.  These 
Chinese,  it  will  bo  understood,  keep  themselves  as  distinct  from  the 
natives  as  they  do  in  our  own  land.  They  are  much  the  more 
energetic  race,  and  have  rapidly  accumulated  for  themselves  the 
positions  of  profitable  enterprise  in  the  land.  If  the  Siamese  are 
permanently  to  hold  their  own,  they  greatly  need  the  stimulating 
influence  of  Christian  religion  and  civilization.  They  liavo  traits 
of  their  own,  however,  which  are  pecuJiarly  favorable  to  such  de- 
velopment, and  we  have  cause,  not  only  for  the  sense  of  respon- 
sibility but  for  hijpefnl  effort,  in  the  fact  that  the  entire  work  of 
Christianizing  the  natives  of  Siam  is  left  to  the  PrcsbyLerian  Church. 


-J 


Ifl  UlSTOUJCAL   BKETCII    OF 

Ours  ia  the  ouly  Siamese  mission  which  has  remained  in  permanent 
operation. 

PKESBYTERUN    MISSIONS. 

The  first  visit  made  to  Siam  by  any  representative  of  our  own 
Church  was  ibr  the  same  purpose  which  had  already  "brought  other 
missionaries  there — namely,  to  find  some  door  of  access  to  the 
Chinese.  _  This  was  in  November,  1838,  when  Itev.  Mr.  Orr  spent 
a  month  in  Bangkok,  and  thereupon  recommended  our  Board  of 
Foreign  Missions  to  take  this  country  as  a  field  of  effurt,  not  ouly 
for  the  Chinese,  but  for  the  Siamese  themselves.  In  accordance 
with  this  recommendation  the  llev.  W.  P.  Bucll  wjis  sent  to  ]]aug- 
kok,  where  he  arrived  in  ]8i0.  AfU^r  remaining  until  1844  and 
doing  good  fuundation  work,  he  was  compelled  to  leave  the  field  to 
bring  home  filrs.  Buell,  who  had  been  stricken  with  paralysis. 
Arrangements  were  made  to  fill  his  place  as  soon  as  possible,  but 
irom  various  reasons  it  was  not  until  1847  that  the  next  mission- 
aries actually  reached  Siam.  From  that  time  until  the  present, 
continuous  work  has  been  maintained;  and  as  the  Chinese  could 
then  be  reached  in  their  own  land,  our  mission  here  addressed  it- 
self directly  to  the  native  Siamese. 

The  Bev.  Stephen  Mattoon  and  wife,  with  Bev.  S.  B.  House, 
M.D.,  were  the  missionaries  who  began  work  in  that  year.  Their 
foothold  seemed,  however,  very  precarious  for  several  years  after- 
ward, on  account  of  the  active,  though  secret,  opposition  of  the 
king.  Without  openly  using  force,  he  so  exerted  his  despotic  in- 
fluence upon  the  slavish  people  that  none  of  them  could  be  induced 
to  rent  or  sell  any  house  to  the  missionaries,  and  a  most  eflectual 
obstacle  to  their  work  was  thus  presented.  Other  difliculties  of 
the  same  general  nature  were  put  in  their  way,  and  it  seenied  quite 
certain  that  they  would  actually  be  edged  away  from  tho  land  alto- 
gether. 

About  the  same  time  Sir  James  Brooks,  who  had  arrived  to 
open  negotiations  with  the  king  on  behalf  of  the  British  govern- 
uient,  found  himself  treated  in  a  manner  which  he  considered  so 
insulting  that  he  indignantly  took  ship  again  with  the  purpose  of 
securing  assistance  in  the  effort  to  open  the  country  by  main  Ibrce. 
Just  at  the  moment  when  all  these  complications  were  at  their 
height,  the  death  of  the  king  was  announced  (April  3,  1851). 
This  event  brought  about  a  complete  change  in  the  whole  situation, 
and  in  all  the  succeeding  history  of  the  country;  a  change  which 
is  directly  traceable  to  the  inliucnce  of  Protestant  missions.  The 
man  whom  the  assembly  of  nobles  elected  to  till  the  throne,  and 
who  reigned  from  1851  until  the  end  of  lH(;8,  proved  to  be  very 
liberal  in  all  liis  policy.     When  tho  next  embassy  from  the  British 


L. 


TUE    MISSIONS   IN    8IAM.  13 

government  reached  Siam,  under  Sir  John  Bowring,  it  was  to  find 
on  the  throne  no  longer  an  ignorant,  unmanageable  barbarian,  but 
a  man  who  could  appreciate  civilization,  and  who  claimed  to  ha 
himself  quite  a  scholar  even  by  European  standards.  This  came 
from  the  fact  that  while  still  in  private  lile  he  was  oceupiud  much 
of  hia  time,  under  the  instruction  of  a  Baptist  missionary,  iu  the 
study  of  lanf!;uage  and  of  modern  science. 

For  the  thirty  years  which  have  now  intervened  since  hia  access- 
ion, Protestant  missionaries  have  been  accorded  very  noticeable 
influence  with  the  government.  In  estimating  the  result  of  their 
work,  this  fact  must  bo  given  much  prominence.  An  official  doc- 
ument, under  the  royal  sanction,  makes  the  Ibllowin^  statement: 
"  Many  ycai-s  ago  the  American  missionaries  camo  here.  They 
came  before  any  other  l<]uroj)eans,  and  they  tauj^ht  the  Siamese  to 
speak  and  read  the  English  language.  The  American  missionaries 
have  always  been  just  and  upright  men.  They  have  never  meddled 
in  the  afiaira  of  government,  nor  created  any  difficulty  with  the 
Siamese.  They  have  lived  with  tho  Siamese  just  as  if  they  be- 
longed to  the  nation.  The  government  of  Siam  has  great  love  and 
respect  for  them,  and  has  no  fear  whatever  concerning  them.  When 
there  has  been  a  difficulty  of  any  kind,  the  missionaries  have  many 
times  rendered  valuable  assistance.  For  this  reason  the  Siamese 
have  loved  and  respected  them  for  a  long  time.  The  Americans 
have  also  taught  the  Siamese  many  things." 

Kelerence  is  also  fre<juently  made  to  the  statement  of  a  regent 
that  "  Siam  was  not  opened  by  Briti!>h  gunpowder  like  China,  but 
by  the  influence  of  missionaries."  No  estimate  of  missiuu  work 
would  be  complete,  therefore,  which  did  uot  include  its  connection 
with  these  great  changes  iu  the  whole  attitude  and  condiliun  of  tho 
nation,  which  have  already  astonished  the  world,  and  which  are  of 
still  ampler  promise  for  the  future.  Though  such  results  may  be 
considered  as  indirect  and  preparatory,  they  are  to  be  thankl'ully 
acknowledged  before  God,  who  has  chosen  to  attest  His  blessing 
and  help  iu  this  form,  while  not  omitting  further  tokens  of  a  more 
immediately  spiritual  nature. 

Perhaj)S  the  best  way  to  view  tho  course  of  our  work  will  be  to 
look  at  it  iu  connection  with  tho  places  which  have  successively 
becu  taken  up  as  centres  of  effiirt,  among  both   Siamese  and  Laos. 

BANGKOK. 

The  first  convert  in  connection  with  the  mission  was  the  Chinese 
teacher  Qua-Kieng,  who  was  baptized  in  1844,  and  died  in  the 
I'aith  iu  1859.  It  is  interesting  to  learn  that  three  ol'his  children 
became  Christians  after  his  death,  one  of  them  a  eandidule  for  tho 
ministry.     This  is  by  no  means  the  only  instance  iu  the  history  of 


■\  L 


»^Jia*i***tm*^^ 


IG  HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OF 

the  mission  in  wliicli  the  baptized  children,  cither  of  foreign  or  of 
native  laborers,  have  taken  up  the  work  of  their  fathers. 

A  good  record  is  also  given  of  Nai  Chuue,  the  first  native  Siam- 
ese convert.  "Though  frequently  oflered  positions  of  honor, 
lucrative  oflQcea  and  employment  by  the  government,  he  refuses  all 
and  chooses  to  support  himself  by  the  practice  of  medicine,  that 
thus  he  may  the  more  readily  carry  the  gospel  message." 

It  was  not  until  1859,  however,  that  this  first  convert  was  made. 
Twelve  hmg  years  had  elapsed  before  the  missionaries  of  IH-IT 
were  given  the  joy  of  gathering  any  first-fruita  of  their  labors. 
Such  a  period  of  delay  has  not  been  unknown  in  the  history  of 
several  other  mission  fields,  which  became  therealter  eminently  suc- 
cessful, and  in  view  of  all  the  obstacles  in  the  case  now  before  us, 
it  can  hardly  be  thought  surprising.  Instead  of  causing  ilis  ser- 
vants to  reap  immediately,  by  bringing  one  part  of  the  field  into 
full  maturity,  the  JNlaster  chose,  as  we  have  seen,  to  use  them  for 
doing  long-continued  preparatory  work,  which  will  in  the  end 
attest  His  wisdom  as  the  Lord  of  the  harvest.  Tokens  have  more- 
over come  to  light  within  recent  years  which  show  that  there 
really  was  success,  even  of  a  directly  spiritual  nature,  where  there 
were  no  signs  visible  to  the  workers  through  the  years  of  patiunt 
perseverance.  For  example,  several  years  after  j)r,  Bradley's 
death  a  marked  instance  of  conversion  was  found,  which  was 
traceable  directly  to  his  faithful  eil'urts  in  the  jjiinting  and  distri- 
bution of  Christian  truth.  In  a  letter  fnnu  tlie  Laos  mission  in 
May,  1878,  we  are  tuld  of  a  visit  made  some  mouths  earlier,  in 
cfune,  1877,  by  a  venerable  stranger,  evidently  a  man  ol"  high  rank, 
who  came  to  ask  medicine  I'ur  his  deafness,  and  i-efcrred  to  the 
miraculous  cure  which  Christ  had  wrought  upon  a  deaf  man.  lie 
])roved  to  be  the  highest  officer  of  the  court  in  the  province  of 
Lakaron,  and  at  the  time  of  this  visit  was  seventy-three  years  of 
age.  Twenty  years  before,  ho  had  visited  Bangkok  and  received 
religious  books  from  Dr.  Bradley.  They  were  printed  in  the 
Siamese  character,  which  is  so  dilferent  IVom  that  used  by  the 
Laos,  though  the  languages  then. selves  are  uiueh  the  same,  that  he 
could  not  at  the  time  read  them,  but  learned  the  Siamese  character 
lijr  the  purpose  of  so  doing.  IJe  gave  inward  assent  to  the  truth 
contained  in  them  so  far  as  he  could  understand  it,  but  had  never 
found  any  missionary  to  give  him  further  instruction  in  his  far-off 
home.  He  was  now  brought,  ior  further  light,  to  a  place  where 
meantime  a  Christian  mission  lud  been  established  i'or  his  nation. 
The  path  was  opened  by  Divine  Providence  in  his  case,  as  in 
that  of  bo  many  others  In  every  age  and  laud,  throngli  God's  over- 
ruling of  human  persecution.  His  firmness  of  principle  now 
brought  upon  him  such  trouble  iu  hia  own  province  that  he  had 


THE   MISSIONS   IN    SlA^l.  17 

come  to  Chieng-mai,  where  lie  immediately  sought  out  the  mission' 
aries.  From  that  time  he  made  this  matter  his  one  study,  obtain- 
ing Buddhist  books  from  the  temple,  and  comparing  them  with 
Christian  books,  in  the  full  exercise  of  that  keen,  practical  sagacity 
for  which  he  was  noted.  He  intended  to  present  himself  at  the 
communion-table  in  April,  but  was  obliged  to  remain  at  homo 
under  a  severe  attack  of  illness.  At  the  next  coumiunion,  how- 
ever, he  made  his  appearance,  declaring  his  conviction  that  the 
Ijealing  of  his  disease  had  been  in  answer  to  prayer.  The  mission- 
ary who  moderated  the  session  at  his  examinatitjn  had  seldom 
heard  a  more  satisfactory  and  intelligent  confession  of  faith  in 
Christ  than  was  given  by  him.  As  soon  as  he  was  known  to  be  a 
Christian  he  was  ordered  back  to  his  native  city  lar  away.  His 
death  was  not  unlikely  to  be  the  result;  but  he  said  to  his  Chris- 
tian friends,  "  If  they  want  to  kill  me  because  I  worship  Christ, 
and  not  demons,  I  will  let  them  pierce  me."  His  life  was  spared 
in  the  end,  but  office,  wealth,  and  social  position  were  taken,  and 
he  was  ignored  by  all  his  friends.  Later  still  we  liear  of  him  as 
starting  to  walk  all  the  way  to  Chieng-mai,  being  too  impoverished 
to  command  any  mode  of  conveyance  more  suitable  for  his  old  age. 
His  object  in  coming  was  to  hear  still  further  about  the  liord 
Jesus,  and  the  result  of  this  second  visit  was  the  return  with  him 
of  two  native  members  from  the  Chieng-mai  church  to  begin  work 
in  his  native  city.  Out  of  this  there  is  now  developing  one  of  our 
most  promising  out-statiims;  and  the  whole  affair  is  traceable 
directly  to  the  patient  work  of  that  early  missionary,  who  never  in 
this  life  came  to  know  anything  of  it. 

Another  instance  of  the  same  kind  is  mentioned  in  a  letter  of 
Rev.  Mr.  Duulap  from  Petchaburi  in  February,  1H79.  He  speaks 
of  visiting  a  very  old  Christian,  who  was  evidently  near  his  end,  and 
there  learning  that  he  had  received  portions  of  the  Bible  from  Dr. 
Bradley  many  years  before,  which  he  had  hidden  for  fear  of  the 
authorities,  and  studied  in  secret,  until  ho  accepted  Christ  as  tliero 
revealed,  and  put  away  his  idols.  Since  that  time  his  life  had 
been  that  of  a  devoted  Christian,  active  in  work  ibr  other  souls. 
Near  him  in  his  sickness  lay  his  Bible  and  other  books,  among 
theui  the  "  Pilgrim's  Progress,"  which  he  said  he  had  read  and 
re-read  with  joy.  "The  aged  disciple,"  writes  Mr.  Dunlap,  "said 
to  the  native  preacher  who  accompanied  me,  '  I  pray  every  day, 
but  often  wonder  if  I  pray  aright;  if  you  will  listen  1  will  tell  you, 
that  you  may  teach  me.'  I  listened  also,  and  to  such  a  prayer  ! 
It  was  full  of  humility,  faith,  and  thanksgiving.  He  had  plainly 
been  taught  by  the  best  and  highest  of  teachers." 

No  doubt  these  cases  are  but  specimens  of  a  class  in  which 
spiritual  results  were  really  gained  during  the  very  years  which 


Ihliwi 


.1  a..u  U^iJ  4uaU  »4iu.>  .1 


1^  msTOaipAl,  Slifi^C^  OF 

seemed  so  barroR  of  immediate  fruit  Siuce  the  time  when  the  first 
open  confcesioa  was  made  by  a  native  convert,  other  uiembera  have 
been  steadily  gathered  into  the  churches,  and  the  work,  thougli  it 
may  be  considered  as  still  very  largely  in  its  prei)aratory  stage,  bus 
many  a  token  of  encouraging  succesa.  All  the  usuul  forms  of  Chriij- 
tiau  eflbrt  are  employed  with  dihgence  and  ellectiveness. 

PrcachliKj,  both  in  chapels  aud  by  the  wayside,  has  been  given 
from  the  very  beginning  that  prouiiueuce  which  justly  belongs  to 
It  as  the  ordinance  of  Christ  for  the  saving  of  souls.  Whatever 
else  is  done,  this  is  also  done.  The  establishment  of  stations  for 
regular  preaching,  and  the  organization  of  churches,  have  received 
full  attention  wherever  God  opened  the  way. 

The  Press  affords  another  agency  of  especial  importance  among 
a  people  where  four-fifths  of  the  men  and  boys  are  able  to  read. 
The  mission  press  at  Bangkok  ia  constantly  sending  forth  copies  of 
the  Scriptures  in  Siamese,  with  translations  from  such  books  as  the 
"  PUgrim's  Progress,"  the  «  Child's  Book  of  the  Soul,"  etc.,  aud 
also  tracts  and  books  prepared  especially  for  this  purpose.  Its 
publication  of  the  Siamese  Hymnal  has  also  proved  very  service- 
able among  a  music-loving  race.  It  may  be  mentioned  that  the 
Bible  itself  is  usually  printed  in  separate  portions  only,  on  account 
of  the  fact  tliat  a  complete  copy,  even  in  the  smallest  Siamese  type, 
would  make  a  volume  of  larger  size  thau  our  Webster's  Unabridged 
Dictionary.  In  April,  1881,  the  whole  Bible  had  been  translared, 
except  the  books  of  Chronicles,  which  were  in  progress;  and  most 
of  it  had  been  printed.  The  delay  in  translating  is  caused  by  the 
need  of  accuracy,  such  as  can  only  be  ensured  by  enipluyiiig  men 
who  have  been  long  on  the  field  and  have  become  very  lamiliar 
with  the  language.  There  have  been  in  use,  almost  from  the  very 
beginning,  translations  of  the  Gospels  and  of  some  other  books  which 
liave  served  a  good  purpose  lor  the  time;  but  thu  preparation  of  a 
standard  Siamese  Bible,  which  is  greatly  needed,  is  of  much  slower 
and  n)oro  diflicult  attainujeut.  The  language  is  one  which  does 
not  lend  itself  to  the  expression  of  truths  so  elevated  as  those  of 
Scripture,  with  as  much  facility  as  some  others  which  appear  less 
promising.  In  1880  there  were  printed  U5U0  copies  of  Matthew 
aud  lOUU  each  of  five  Old  Testament  books,  besides  much  other 
matter. 

Medical  work  has  also  been  a  most  valuable  adjunct  of  mission- 
ary efibrt,  and  this  in  two  ways.  Here,  as  in  every  land,  it  opens 
a  way  to  the  hearts  of  men  by  its  self-denying  beneficence,  and 
aflords  many  an  o])portunity  of  pointing  the  sin-sick  soul  to  the 
Great  Physician.  But  there  is  also  the  further  efiect  oi' undermining 
the  native  coufidcuec  in  the  eflicacy  of  sj)irit-worsliip.  The  niero 
luct  of  finding  malaria  healed   through  the  use  ol"  quinine  by  one 


•mi&  m^aiQn^  in  sum.  19 

r  .       .         .         .        ■ 

I  of  the  native  assiatanta  is  mentioned  as  producing  a  marked  im- 

[  prcBsiou  of  this  kind-    It  helps  to  convince  them  that  Christianity 

r  shows  itself  to  be  of  God  by  its  harmony  with  all  other  truth,  even 

I  in  nature  and  science;  whereas  the  whole  teachings  of  ]Juddhism 

j'  regarding  its  system  of  heavens  aud  hells  are  contradicted  and  dis- 

f  proved  by  the  science  of  astronomy,  aud  the  eniployuient  of  incau- 

>'  tations  and  witchcraft  for  the  sick  is  proven  to  be  I'alsu  aud  naelcss 

K  by  the  scientitic  medical  practice  iutroduced  by  missionaries.     The 

I  opportunities  for  such  service  are  abundant.     Tliirty-four  years  ago 

f  Dr.  House  found  this  at  the  very  beginning  of  his  practicu  to  such 

il  au  exteut  that  in  the  firsteighteea  mouths  ho  treated  3117  patients. 

I  The  need  of  Buch  practice  was  shown  in  a  terrible  way  suuu  aiUr- 

I  ward,  when  cholera  was  eui-rying  otf  its  victiuis  at  the  rute  of  30,UU0 

I  a  month.     So  favomblo  is  the  iiupresbiou  produced  upiui  the  Siam- 

l  cse  by  this  work  that  they  are  now  takiugit  up  ior  themselves.    In 

i  1881  it  is  noted  that  a  hospital  for  CO  patients  had  been  erected  and 

l  given  for  public  use  by  a  native  nubleman,  and  in  charge  of  native 

i  attendants;  the  physician  in  charge  being  Dr.  Tien  lice,  who  had 

•  graduated  some  years  earlier  front  the  missiuuary  boarding-school 

i  at  Bangkok,  and  afterward  from  the  Medical  School  of  the  Uni- 

I  versity  of  tho  City  of  New  York.     The  very  existence  and  opera- 

f  tion  of  such  a  hospital  is  a  living  argument  against  Buddhism,  of 

P--.  \  uuceasing  aud  over-widening  operation.     The  sad  need  of  it,  even 

^  for    the   purpose   of  humane  care    ior   the  suffering,  was  showu 

i  immediately  alter  its  erection,  during  the   renewed  visitation  of 

I  cholera  in  the  summer  of  1881,  when  the  death-rate  in  liangkok 

I  had  risen  to  five  hundred  a  day  at  the  very  beginning  of  July. 

I  Surely  there  is  abundant  material  for  prayer  to  the  Great  Physician 

f  at  our  missionary  concerts,  in  view  of  such  facta  as  these.     The 

j  devoted  efforts  of  Christian  physicians,  laboring  in  the  midst  of  all 

I  dangers,  and,  in  such   cases  as  that  of  the  veteran  Dr.  House,  for 

;(  the  period  of  a  whole  generation,  deserve  the  mott  cordial  recog- 

[  nition  aud  support. 

\  Education  has,  of  course,  a  most  important  bearing  upon  mission 

\  work.     The  experience  of  Dr.  DuQ  iu  India,  and  in  lucL  that  of  all 

i  who  have  fairly  tried  the  experiment,  confirm  everything  which 

'  has  been  already  said  of  the  benefit  secured  by  showing  the  heathen 
that  scientific  facts  are  never  contradictory  to  the  real  doctrine  of 
the  Christian  Scriptures,  while  suuh  facts  are  always  contradictory  to 

'  the  systems  of  false  religion.  Evcu  the  ordinary  lessons  of  the  day- 
school  are  found  to  produce  among  heathen  families  a  powerful 
impression  concerning  religion,  while  of  course  the  ini.-siouary 
teachers  embrace  every  suitable  opportunity  for  duvclly  religiouij 

\  efiort.  There  was  at  first  no  small  difliculty  in  perbuuding  any  of 
the  Siamese  to  come  and  be  taught,  and  even  iu  securing  a  really 


winMiMM 


iaMillM<M«ilMlmMu«.IK«MIHMiili^AiiJ.*.k 


20  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OP - 

desirable  site  for  a  school.  Tlie  premises  fii-st  occupied  for  tho 
missioQ  at  Bangkok,  aud  tho  bost  which  could  at  the  time  bo  ob- 
taiued,  were  at  the  lower  end  of  the  city.  Hero  are  two  dwelling- 
houses,  a  ohapel  and  room  for  the  printing  press,  together  with  ttio 
school-house  ibr  boys.  It  was  years  al'ter  tliis  before  another  lot 
was  procured,  snme  live  miles  further  up  the  river  iu  au  excellent 
position,  opposite  some  X)f  the  palaces  and  amidst  the  better  resi- 
dences. Here  is  u  house  for  the  missiouarios  and  one  for  the 
girls'  boarding-school. 

Tho  boys'  school  began  work  as  early  as  1852,  and  had  an 
attendance  in  1880  of  sixty-.seven ;  the  girls'  school,  organized 
much  later,  had  thirty  attendants  at  the  same  date.  There  is  an 
organized  church  at  each  of  those  points  made  up  in  part  of  tho 
membership  of  tlie  schools. 

Great  encouragement  has  been  felt  because  of  tho  interest  and 
approbation  manifested  by  the  government  in  all  our  educational 
work.  The  recent  appointmeut  by  the  king  of  l)r.  MacKarland  to 
be  principal  of  tho  li  )yal  College  at  Bangkok  and  Superintendent 
of  Public  lnslructi:iQ  at  large  is  very  noteworthy.  The  largo  salary 
given  for  this  service  enables  Dr.  MacKarland  to  dispense  with  any 
support  from  the  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  while  he  still  con- 
tinues Voluntarily  to  preach  and  teach  Christianity  in  addition  to 
the  important  W(»rk  of  his  new  position,  whose  iuduenoe  is  of  in- 
calculable advantage  to  the  whole  cause. 

PETCUAliUHI. 

This  city,  one  hundred  miles  scnithwest  of  the  capital,  is  tho 
favorite  sanitary  resort  for  Europeans  and  I'or  the  court.  Though 
numbering  but  twenty  thousand  inhabitants,  it  is  tho  central  point 
of  inllueuce  f  jr  a  district  containing  a  ])opnlation  of  live  hundred 
thousand.  It  is  a  signilieant  fact  that  when  Betchaburi  was  visited 
by  a  missionary  in  18-lii  his  lM)oks  were  refused,  and  every  attempt 
to  exert  even  u  passing  induence  for  Christianity  was  rejjulsed  in 
the  most  uncompromising  manner  by  the  authorities.  In  18G1, 
however,  it  was  by  the  urgent  recjuest  of  the  governor  that  a 
station  was  ftjruied  at  this  jjoint.  Two  years  later  there  were  throe 
native  converts  ap[»lyiug  for  membersliip,  and  a  church  was  there- 
upon organized,  which  haa  been  steadily  growing  ever  since. 

School  work  is  very  pnnninent  in  I'etchaliuri.  There  were 
eight  schools  at  different  points  in  the  city  in  1880,  and  the  fjiirls' 
Industrial  School  has  much  of  special  interest  connected  with  it. 
In  18G5,  when  the  ladies  tried  to  induce  some  of  tho  ignorant 
half-grown  girls  of  the  neighborhood  to  come  and  be  taught  sew- 
ing, with  reading  aud  writing,  there  was  much  diiUculty  iu  secur- 
ing even  one.     The  idea  of  teaching  a  girl  anything  was  so  com- 


THE    MISSIONS   IN    BIAM.  21 

pletelj  novel  that  the  greatest  opposition  was  made  by  the  parents, 
as  well  as  the  girls  themselves,  to  such  an  uudcrtakiiig.  The 
results  in  this  case,  however,  approved  themselves  so  well  that  the 
new  enterprise  grew  in  i'avor,  and  before  very  lung  the  two  ladies 
had  forty-five  girls  in  their  charge,  which  was  quite  as  many  as 
they  could  care  for,  with  all  their  other  activities.  In  1880  there 
were  forty-nine  in  attendance.  Soon  after  this  Vfus  begun  an  in- 
vitation was  extended  to  younger  scholars,  for  whom  a  primary 
school  was  formed.  In  this  case  also  the  result  was  most  encour- 
aging. Parents  would  come  to  visit  the  school,  rcpeatiug  there 
the  Scripture  verses  which  they  had  caught  from  their  children. 

At  oue  of  the  other  schools  the  two  native  teachers  were  Chris- 
tians, and  the  report  also  mentions  that  all  but  two  of  the  thirty- 
eight  scholars  were  from  families  in  which  were  some  church 
members  j  so  that  they  were  to  some  extent  becoming  surrounded 
by  Christian  influences.  "The  girls,"  we  are  told,  "learn  to  make 
clothes  and  wear  them,  to  find  it  possible  to  live  without  swearing 
or  chewing  betel."  The  filthy  practice  of  chewing  a  mixture  of 
tobacco  and  the  betel  nut,  which  is  uuiven-al,  and  that  of  being 
what  we  should  call  half-naked,  which  is  slowly  being  corrected, 
would  be  very  sure  to  attract  the  attention  of  any  Christian  woman. 
The  details  of  daily  work  in  these  schools  are  full  of  interest,  and 
it  is  greatly  to  be  desired  thyt  the  Furtiijn  Mlssiunari/  nuigazine 
and  the  Wvman's  Work  fur  \Yui>ian^  which  record  many  such 
facts,  should  have  a  largely-increased  body  of  regular  readers.  lu 
the  present  sketch  it  is  only  possible  to  indicate  in  passing  that 
which  can  be  Ibuud  in  those  magazines  with  full  details.  The 
interest  of  the  Siamese  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  the  king  gave 
$1000,  and  his  nobles  $1300  more,  for  the  new  school  building. 

The  native  ministri/  began  to  receive  its  development  at  this 
station.  lu  1860  the  license  to  preach  was  for  the  first  time  given 
to  a  native  Christian,  and  there  were  four  licentiates  at  work  in 
the  mission  in  1H80.  The  native  preacher  who  is  mentioned  in  a 
letter  from  Petchaburi,  dated  1880,  bears  the  marks  of  an  excel- 
lent Christian.  lie  w;'S  so  aflfectionately  attached  to  the  elder  of 
his  church  that  the  death  of  the  latter  brought  upon  him  a  severe 
illness,  which  threatened  his  own  life.  He  is  depicted  iis  faithful 
in  family  training,  constant  in  preaching  labors,  in  acting  as  as- 
sistant surgeon  also,  vticcinating  the  people,  and  giving  help  of 
any  kind  wherever  needed.  Emergencies  re<juiring  just  such 
ready  helpers  are  not  seldom  found,  as,  for  example,  in  the  cholera 
scourge  of  1881,  which  was  fearfully  prevalent  not  only  in  Bang- 
kok, but  throughout  many  other  cities.  The  letter  of  Miss  (yort, 
in  the  Foreign  MUsionari/  of  Octuber,  1881,  jjresents  a  picture  of 
desperate  suliering  all  around,  and  of  pure  Christian  devoledness, 


«    «l>t.>.*«*  UlliMi  ■»J.4*Mt-t-.  -•<.-.«'.'  ._>1^' 


5)3  HISTORICAL   SKETCH   OF 

wbich  ifi  iuteusQ  in  its  very  simplicity.  It  is  f^routly  to  be  depre> 
fated  that  such  a  station  should  bo  left,  as  Petchaburi  was  in  1880, 
fur  several  months  without  any  ordained  minister  on  the  groi+nd. 
The  ladies  of  the  mission  cared  faithfully  for  its  interests,  but 
there  are  U)any  needful  services  which  in  a  heathen  city  cannot  be 
performed  by  ladies.  It  looks  as  if  they  really  needed  to  be  heli)ed 
in  their  own  work,  and  not  to  be  taken  off  from  it  to  do  a  servico 
which  calls  urgently  for  new  recruits.  The  niissionary  work  duno 
by  these  Christian  women  on  their  journeys  through  the  country 
gives  further  token  of  their  earnestness  and  tact.  Fresh  life  and 
courageous  effort  may  be  seen  on  every  side,  indeed,  in  the  oper-. 
ations  of  this  little  Christian  band  as  a  whole. 

OITT-STATIONS. 

The  best  sign  of  health  in  any  church,  in  the  foreign  field  or  at 
liome,  is  the  existence  of  an  aggressive  spirit,  leading  the  members 
to  go  out  to  the  world  around  them  with  their  prayers,  gifts,  and 
efforts.  This  sign  marks  both  of  the  churches  at  which  we  have 
been  looking. 

Froui  Bangkok  mission  effort  extended  itself  to  the  city  of 
Ayuthia,  some  distance  further  up  the  river.  This  point  was 
occupied  as  a  regular  station  in  1872,  and  since  tho  departure  of 
llev.  Mr.  Carrington,  in  1875,  it  has  been  carried  on  by  native 
effort.  The  two  churches  of  Bangkok  combined  in  the  erection  of 
a  chapel  and  house,  as  widl  as  the  support  of  a  native  teacher. 

The  Petchaburi  mission  has  stations  at  Bangk-boon  .ind  Wang- 
tako,  each  with  its  chapel  i'oj  regular  preaching,  and  there  are 
also  other  points  of  effort  which  mark  this  as  a  field  of  much 
promise. 

THE   LAOS  MISSION. 

This  name  indicates  an  organization  which  is  distinct  and  sepa- 
rate, though  it  is  grouped  with  the  Siamese  mission  in  our  reports, 
and  is  of  course  very  closely  connected  with  it.  Tho  Laos  people, 
it  will  bo  remembered,  are  distinct  irom  the  Siamese,  though  sub- 
ject to  the  royal  government.  Tho  upper  plain  which  has  already 
been  described  as  their  home,  though  but  five  hundred  miles  abovo 
Bangkok,  is  practically  iurther  IVom  it  tiian  is  New  York  it.self,  if 
the  distance  is  estimated  by  the  length  of  time  recjuircd  for  tho 
journey.  The  rapids  in  the  river  and  the  almost  impassable  mouut- 
uins  on  each  side  of  it  present  a  barrier  not  (juickly  passed  o\"er. 
Chieng-mai,  the  capital,  was  visited  by  a  deputation  from  the  Siam 
mission  in  18G3,  and  in  18(J7  and  18G8  Messrs.  MctJiilvary  and 
Wilson  came  U)  remain.     They  wore  soon  encouraged  by  the  cuii- 


L 


'^'^^ '---■• 


TU|i  *ij&8;Qf<&  lin  8tAM.  23 

versiou  of  Nail  Iota,  a  ma,H  who  had  tbp^oughly  studied  Buddhiaaj 
aad  was  dissatisjicd  with  it,  while  kuowing  of  uuthiug  t-o  replace 
it.  lie  was  much  impressed  by  having  the  eclipse  ol"  Augubt  18, 
18G8,  foretold  by  the  uiissiouary  a  week  in  advance.  He  i'ouiul 
the  seieuce  of  the  Christians  disproving  the  fables  of  IJuddhisw, 
and  at  oqce  began  eagerly  to  study  the  more  directly  spiritual 
truths  connected  with  Christianity.  He  was  soun  able  to  make  au 
intelligent  confession  of  faith  in  Christ,  and  seven  other  converts 
were  baptized  within  a  few  months.  At  this  point  the  infant 
church  was  brought  to  a  season  of  persecution  and  lyartyrdom. 
The  king  of  the  Laos,  who  usually  exercised  full  control  over  his 
own  people,  though  tributary  to  Siam,  began  to  manifest  the  lios- 
tility  which  he  had  thus  far  concealed.  Nui  Soonyaand  Nan  Chai 
Wtire  arrested,  and  on  being  brought  before  the  authorities  con- 
fessed that  they  had  forsaken  Buddhism.  The  "death-yoke"  was 
then  put  around  their  necks,  and  a  small  rope  was  pyi^sed  through 
the  holes  in  their  ears  (used  for  ear-rings  by  all  the  natives),  and 
carried  over  the  beam  of  the  house,  to  which  they  were  thus  tied  as 
tightly  as  they  could  bear  it.  After  being  thus  tortured  all  night 
thoy  were  again  examined  in  the  morning,  but  steadfastly  rdused 
to  deny  their  Lord  and  Saviour  even  in  the  face  of  death.  They 
prepared  for  executiun  by  praying  unto  II im,  closing  with  the 
words,  "Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit."  Being  then  taken  off  to 
the  jungle  they  were  clubbed  to  death  by  the  executioner,  and  one 
of  them,  not  dying  quickly  enough,  was  thrust  through  the  heart 
by  u  spear.  The  whole  record  is  like  one  from  the  apostulio  age, 
and  speaks  vividly  of  the  first  martyrs  and  of  the  same  Lord  by 
whose  living  presence  they  were  sustained.  Such  fruits  of  the 
Spirit  are  unmistakable. 

The  persecution  which  thus  began  checked  seriously  for  tho 
time-  any  progress  in  mission  work.  Shortly  after  this,  however, 
the  king  died,  and  progress  was  resumed.  Several  new  converts 
were  soon  received,  and  it  was  found  that  these  cases  of  martyrdom 
had  produced  a  deep  impression  lor  good.  Still  later,  in  1878, 
another  crisis  was  eacouutered,  though  less  serious  iu  its  nature. 
The  missionaries  had  decided  to  perform  the  marriage  ceremony 
between  two  native  Christians  who  had  applied  to  them,  and  to  do 
this  without  making  any  provision  for  the  customary  least  to  tho 
demons.  The  relatives,  who  were  all  devil-wor.ship{)ers,  prevented 
the  marriage  on  this  account,  and  the  authorities  supported  them 
iu  the  refusal.  An  appeal  was  at  once  made  to  the  king  of  Siam, 
which  brought  for  reply  a  "  Proelumation  of  Beligious  Liberty  to 
the  Laos,"  which  has  placed  the  whole  matter  on  a  new  basis  and 
entirely  changed  the  conduct  of  the  otlicials.  This  proclamation 
was   viewed  as  a  great  step  iu  advance.     It  will  bo  seen   that 


l^aWAiitMHMWn 


u.^ 


24  UISTOKIOAL   SKEl'CH   Oi' 


although  Buddhism  is  theoretically  opposed  both  to  persecution  !• 

aud  to  devil-worship,  yet  Buddhista  cau  bo  practically  guilty  of  j 

both  the  one  aud  the  other.  ' 

The  pulpit  and  the  press,  the  school-house  aud  the  hospital,  are  I 

to  be  given  active  operation  here,  as  in  the  Siamese  niiiision.  < 

The  work  ot*  printing  has  been  delayed  by  the  great  difficulty  iu  | 

procuring  suitable  type.     The  characters  used,  as  noted  above,  are  ' 

entirely  diiierent  from  those  emi)loyed  by  the  Siauiese ;  and  the  / 

diversified  uature  of  a  missionary's  work  would  be  vividly  reali7.ed 
by  any  one  who  should   read   Mr.  Wilson's  experien(;e  with  the  : 

type  foundries  in  New  York  and  Boston,  followed  by  other  difficul-  '| 

ties  on  the  field.     The  work  of  translating  aud  printing  is  urged  i 

forward  with  all  diligence.  i 

Dr.  Cheek's  tiiuiporary  hospital,  though  but  a  mere  shed  of  bam-  I 

boo,  is  described  as  rendering  most  important  service  to  the  whole  i 

cause,  aud  well  deserving  to  be  replaced  with  a  permanent  builduig.  ; 

The  girls'  boardiug-.school  is  most  successfully  iiumaged,  and  one  ; 

for  boys  is  in  course  of  establishment.  This  department  of  the 
work  met  with  sad  bereavement  in  February,  1881,  by  the  drown- 
ing of  Miss  Mary  Campbell  on  her  way  back  from  a  visit  to  Bang- 
kok. The  uarrative  as  given  by  Miss  Ilartwell,  iu  the  Forciijii 
Missionary/  for  May,  1881,  is  full  of  pathetic  interest.  Dr.  Cheek's 
watchful  care  to  preveut  any  accident,  aud  his  persistent  cfl'orts  at 
rescue,  even  wheu  himself  so  nearly  drowned  as  to  bo  deprived  of 
the  power  of  s])eech,  are  fully  recoguized  ;  as  is  also  the  fatal  super- 
btitiou  Avhich  kept  the  natives  from  rendering  any  assistance,  aud 
the  power  of  Christian  principle  in  the  native  girl  who  alone  of 
them  all  had  just  shaken  oil"  the  fear  of  demons,  aud  plunged  into 
the  water  to  do  what  she  could.  There  is  an  urgeut  cull  iur  rein- 
forcements, not  only  to  fill  up  the  gaps,  but  to  increase  the  aggres- 
sive work.  Iu  every  direction  there  is  an  open  door  inviting  ou- 
tran ce. 

The  Chien(/-mai  church  is  growiug  well,  both  in  numbers  and  in 
grace.  One  of  the  good  signs  is  in  the  fact  that  a  prayer-meeting 
is  conducted  each  week  by  native  elders  and  church  members,  with 
careful  preparation  aud  evident  uselulness. 

The  Bcthlehcta  church  was  organized  iu  July,  1880,  at  a  point 
some  nine  miles  froru  Chieug-mai.  This  was  the  result  of  an  in- 
teresting awakening  of  inquiry  among  the  natives,  who  had  heard 
of  Christianity  from  relatives  visiting  the  capital. 

The  Lakouw  church  has  also  been  organized,  at  a  distance  of 
ninety  miles  from  the  parent  congregation.  One  of  the  Chieng- 
mai  members,  having  his  residence  at  this  jKjiut,  had  instructed  a 
little  baud  in  Christian  truth,  so  that  they  were  ready  for  baptism 
when  the  missiouary  should  visit  them. 


k 


TUE   MISSIONS   IN    aiAM.  25 

Rahang,  on  tlio  froutiers  of  Sium,  half  way  between  Chieng- 
aiai  and  Bangkok,  is  described  as  inviting  regular  occupancy. 
During  Mr.  McGilvary's  visit,  in  1880,  he  met  several  inquirers 
and  applicants  for  baptism.  Two  were  actually  baptized,  and  one 
received  instruction  as  a  candidate  for  the  ministry. 

THE    OUTLOOK. 

In  both  of  the  missions  at  which  we  have  now  glanced,  the  pros- 
pect is  decidedly  encouraging.  It  is  true  that  in  point  of  actual  mem- 
bers it  has  only  been  since  18(50  that  any  visible  results  appeared, 
and  the  roll  (at  the  beginning  of  1881)  included  but  three  hundred 
and  fourteen  names.  The  rate  of  progress,  however,  since  the 
advance  did  begin  has  steadily  increased,  so  that  in  one  year  the 
Siamese  churches  were  increased  by  one-quarter  and  those  of  the 
Laos  by  nearly  one-half  of  their  previous  number. 

There  are  other  tokens,  moreover,  less  easily  stated  in  figures,  but 
no  less  obvious.  Buddhism  is  showu  to  bo  losing  ground  by  such 
facta  as  these :  fewer  men  go  into  the  priesthood,  so  that  in  Bang- 
kok there  are  but  half  as  many  as  there  were  some  years  since. 
"Monasteries  which  formerly  had  from  seventy-five  to  one  hundred 
priests  have  now  not  over  twenty."  Those  who  do  enter  t\m  priest- 
hood remain  for  a  shorter  term  than  formerly.  "The  king  himself 
only  remained  in  the  priesthood  a  month,  and  his  younger  brother 
recently  entered  it  for  three  days."  Our  inference  from  such  a 
fact  is  confirmed  by  the  further  statement  that  the  leading  priests 
are  themselves  becoming  so  alarmed  that  they  are  taking  vigorous 
measures  to  defend  Buddhism  by  printing  and  distributing  books 
which  attack  Christianity  and  uphold  the  native  religion.  We  are 
reminded  of  the  fact  that  when  the  early  missionaries  arrived  in 
Siam  a  native  nobleman  said  to  them,  "  Do  you  with  your  little 
chisel  expect  to  remove  this  great  mountain?"  Yeai'S  afterward, 
when  one  of  those  niLssionary  piomjers  hud  died,  though  without 
seeing  any  fruit  of  his  labors,  another  nobleman  exclaimed,  "  Dr. 
Bradley  is  gone,  but  he  has  undermined  Buddhism  in  Siam."  It 
was  a  felicitous  expression.  "Undermining"  is  a  form  of  work 
in  which  every  stroke  tells  with  the  greatest  advantage.  Even  a 
chisel  may  be  used  with  success  against  a  massive  clitF  if  it  bo 
employed  to  "undermine"  it.  The  missionaries  have  cut  their 
little  channels  under  the  cliff,  and  laid  up  here  and  there  the 
magasciues  of  spiritual  power,  in  full  expectation  that  the  electiie 
flash  of  divine  fire  would  in  due  time  pass  through  the  channels, 
and  split  in  pieces  the  mighty  rock. 

But  it  is  not  enough  to  do  merely  this  negative  work.  There  is 
pressing  need  of  positively  Christianizing  the  land  aa  it  becomes 
emptied  of  Buddiiism,  else  thi;  kst  state  of  this  people  >vill  be 

2 


20 


HISTORICAL   SKETCH    OP 


worse  than  tlio  first.  IniSdelity  is  no  iuiprovemeut  upon  even 
Buddhism.  Our  chief  encouragemout  is  in  the  evident  jjresence 
of  that  livin-,'  Lord  who  can  bless  the  more  jwsitive  work  of  build- 
ing up  Christianity,  as  Ho  has  blessed  the  negative  work  of  under- 
uiiniug  Buddhism.  The  men  who  occupy  the  outposts  on  the 
Md  itself  regard  themselves  as  anything  but  a  "  furlorn  hope," 
while  their  weapons  are  proving  "mighty  through  (Jod  to  tlu; 
casting  down  of  strongholds."  We,  who  read  of  it  all  from  afar, 
can  surely  do  our  part  in  standing  by  them  with  prayer  and  sym- 
pathy and  every  needful  support.  The  "  Captain  of  the  host  of 
tiie  Lord"  may  well  look  to  us  also  for  that  "obedience  of  faith  " 
which  shows  itself  by  trusting  in  Him  as  to  the  wLsdom  of  the 
plan  and  the  certainty  of  its  success,  while  meantime  we  simply 
obey  our  standing  orders  by  doing  all  we  can  to  "preach  the  gospel 
to  every  creature." 

• 

MiSSIONAKIKS,   1881. 
8IAM. 

Bangkok. — Rev.  Messrs.  Noah  A.  McDonald  and  James  W. 
Van  Dyke  and  their  wives;  Miss  Mary  E.  IJ|irtwoll,  ]|Ii^s  Hattio 
H.  McDonald,  and  Miss  Laura  A.  Olmstead.     '    ,/  !'  .'V 

Petciiaburi.— Rev.  C.  S.  McClelland  and  E.  A.  Sturge,  M.D., 
and  their  wives ;   Miss  Sarah  Coflmau  and  Miss  Mary  L.  Cort. 

AMONO    TlIK    LAOS. 

CniENO-MAl. — Rev.  Messrs.  Daniel  McGilvary,  D.D.,  and  Jon- 
athan Wilson  and  their  wives;  Milton  A.  Cheek,  M.D.,  and  his 
wife;  Miss  Edna  S.  Cole  and  Miss  S.  Archibald. 


Books  op  Reference. 

The  Land  of  the  White  Elephant.     P.  Vincent.     $3.50. 

Siam ;  or,  the  Land  of  the  White  Elephant.  Rev.  Mr.  Bacon. 
$1.50. 

Siam :  its  Government,  Manners,  and  Customs.  R(;v.  N.  A, 
McDonald.     $1.25. 

The  Journal  of  Dr.  Abeel. 

Manual  of  Buddhism.      Rev.  R.  Spenco  Hardy. 

Buddhism.     T.  W.  Rhys  Davids.     75  cents. 

Ean-Kwei.     Dr.  W.  M.  Wood,  U.  S.  N.     1^1.50. 


TUK    MISSIONS    IN    SIAM. 


27 


Missionaries  in  Siam  and  Laos,  184U-1881. 


I 


;|- 


DicJ.    i'iguroH,  Term  of  Seivico  in  tliH  11. M. 


.lUiUiHdii,  Miss  A., 

Arx-liibalil,  iMisi  S,, 

Ai  til  III,  Ruv.  K., 

Artliur,  Mrs., 

*Buell,  Rev.  William  P., 

Buoll,  Mrs., 

Hu.sh,  Kcv.  Steiihcn, 

*Busli,  Mrs., 

Canlun,  Kev.  Patrick  L., 

CarJcn,  Mrs., 

CarriiiL^lon,  Rev.  John, 

Oarriii^toii,  Mr.s., 

CoHiiiaii,  Miss  iS., 

Curt,  Miss  M.  L., 

Culbertson,  Kcv.  J.  N., 

Culbcrtson,   Mrs.    (Miss   \ 

Caldwell), 
Dickey,  Miss  K.  S., 
Dunlaii,  Kcv.  E.  P., 
Duulaj),  JSlrs., 
George,  Kev.  S.  C, 
George,  Mrs., 
Griuistead,  Miss  S.  D., 


*Cainpbcll,  Miss  M.  M., 
Cheek,  M.  A.  (M.D.), 
Cheek,  Mrs., 
Cole,  Miss  E.  S., 
McGilvary,  Kev.  ])., 


1872-1876 

Hartwell,  Miss  .M.  E., 

1 879- 

18H1- 

House,  Kev.  ti.  K.  (fil.D.), 

1817-1876 

1871-1873 

House,  Mrs.  11.  N., 

1850-1.S715 

1871-187:i 

McCaulcy,  Kev.  J.  M., 

1S78-1H8U 

1840-1844 

Mc(Ui,ulcy,    Mrs.    (Miss    J 

184l)-l«4t 

Koo.scr), 

1878-1880 

1849-186;} 

Mct'lclbni.l,  Kev.  C.  S., 

1880- 

1849-1851 

McCUlli.iMl,  Mrs., 

1880- 

18(36-1809 

McDoual.1,  Kcv.  Noah  .\., 

1800- 

18()6-18(i9 

McDc.nald,  Mrs., 

180(1- 

1 809-187.') 

JMcDoiialil,  Mi.-s  11.  11., 

1879- 

1869-187;> 

AlcFarlaiul,  Kev.  S.  G., 

1800-IS78 

1874- 

AlcFarland,  Mrs., 

18()0-1878 

1874- 

Mattooii,  Kev.  S., 

1847-1806 

1871-1881 

Mattooii,  Mrs., 

1 847-1. MiO 

Morse,  Kev.  Andrew  I)., 

185C-1858 

1878-1881 

Morse,  Mrs., 

1850-1858 

1871-1873 

*Odeli,  Mrs.  John  P., 

ISO:!- 1804 

I87.'i-1880 

Olmstead,  Miss  1-.  A., 

188(1- 

la75-l,S8U 

Sturge,  E.  A.  (M.D.), 

18S0- 

180'.i-l,S7;t 

Sturgc,  Mrs., 

1881- 

]802-l87;i 

Van  Dyke,  Rev.  Jaaies  \V'., 

1  809- 

1874-1877 

Van  hy\iv,  Mrs., 

1809- 

LA 

us. 

1879-1881 

McGilvary,  Mrs., 

1860- 

1875- 

*Vrooniau,  C.  W.  (M.D.), 

1871-1873 

1875- 

Wilson,  Kev.  Jonathan, 

1858- 

1879- 

*Wilson,  Mrs.  Maria, 

1858-1860 

1858- 

Wilson,  Mrs., 

1806- 

Compiled  from  lists  jirejiarcd  by   Kcv.  J.  C.  Lowrie,  D.D.,  Secretary  of  the 
Presbyterian  Board  of  Foreign  Missions. 


'VnaHMRiMr 


—WJauiAiJ  «i««ilt.lll' 


1    1012  01126  9992 


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1 

JUM^Ifl 

2004 

Demco,  Inc.  38-293 


jOKMI'/o. 


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